Bengals Statistics

Browns Statistics

BEREA, Ohio — Johnny Manziel will be on the sideline at the start of Cleveland’s exhibition
opener.

Browns coach Mike Pettine chose Brian Hoyer as the starting quarterback for a game Saturday at
Detroit. Pettine said the decision was based on Hoyer’s performance in training camp.

“That was his job,” Pettine said. “He was the one coming into it. We did want to mix the groups
up coming into it, as we did, but he’s done nothing to have that taken away from him, so he’ll be
out there with the starters.”

Manziel has steadily improved, closing the gap on Hoyer in recent days as the rookie becomes
more comfortable with the Browns’ playbook and offense. He took his first practice snaps with the
first-team offense earlier this week and could get some playing time with the starters against the
Lions. Manziel said the X’s and O’s aren’t as jumbled in his mind as they were even a few days
ago.

“You just get out there with a lot less clutter,” he said. “We’re in to a couple weeks now, and
it feels a lot more comfortable for me.

“There’s still a long ways to go for me obviously, and like I said a week ago, I felt like if I
kept working on this stuff and got more and more familiar with a certain play call, a certain
formation, a certain concept, then in due time I would get better at certain concepts, and there’s
still a lot more for me to go.”

The competition between Hoyer and Manziel appears to have tightened, and Pettine said both
quarterbacks have made progress during the first two weeks of camp.

“They’ve both made improvement, and I think they’re both doing a great job of playing to their
skill sets,” Pettine said. “It’s obviously very different, what they bring to the table. I think
Brian’s starting to feel very comfortable in the pocket.”

As he works toward naming a starter for the Sept. 7 opener at Pittsburgh, Pettine said more
weight will be placed on how Hoyer and Manziel do in the first two exhibition games. Pettine would
like to have all positional competitions decided before the third exhibition.

“That’s the plan,” he said. “I’ve always been a part of, and more than likely will be here,
resting most of the guys in the fourth game, so that third game is critical to get that chemistry
and cohesion. We’ve mixed the lineups a lot, which is good because you’re getting guys exposure. …
At some point, you’ve got to settle down and develop that chemistry, that cohesion.”

Hoyer got a jolt on Tuesday when his surgically repaired right knee got hit during practice.
Hoyer said linebacker Paul Kruger banged into his knee but that it held up fine.